I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to industrial dryers for industrial parts.
II. Description of Related Art
In the manufacture of many industrial parts, such as engine blocks, manifolds, and the like, the industrial part is subjected to a washing operation after the part is machined. Such washing of the industrial part is oftentimes necessary not only to clean the industrial part of fluids, such as cutting oils, but also to remove chips and other debris from the industrial part.
There have been dryers for previously known industrial parts. Many of these previously known dryers merely comprise a housing through which the industrial parts are conveyed after washing. The interior of the dryer housing is both subjected to heat and airflow in an effort to dry the part.
These previously known industrial dryers, however, all suffer from a number of common disadvantages. One disadvantage is that these dryers have proven less than satisfactory in removing chips and other debris from the industrial part during the washing operation. A still further disadvantage of these previously known dryers is that the dryers are relatively large in size, expensive to manufacture and expensive in operating costs.
The present invention provides a dryer for industrial parts which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known dryers.
In brief, the dryer of the present invention comprises a housing having a shaft rotatably mounted to the housing. A receiving frame is secured to one end of the shaft and this receiving frame is dimensioned to receive one or more industrial parts within the interior of the frame. A conveyor within the housing sequentially moves the industrial parts into the receiving frame.
A lock pin is movably mounted to the receiving frame and is movable between a lock position and a release position. In its lock position, the lock pin engages the industrial part contained within the interior of the frame thus preventing movement of the industrial part relative to the frame. Conversely, in its release position, the lock pin is moved out of engagement from the industrial part so that the industrial part can be moved both into and out from the frame by the conveyor. An actuator is associated with the lock pin to move the lock pin between its lock and release position.
A motor is mechanically connected to the shaft so that, upon activation of the motor, the motor rotatably drives the shaft and thus rotatably drives the frame. Thus, with the industrial part contained within the interior of the frame and the lock pin in its lock position, activation of the motor rotatably drives the frame together with its contained industrial part. I doing so, the washing fluid, typically water, is expelled outwardly from the industrial part by centripetal force.
After the motor has rotatably driven the industrial part for a predetermined period of time, typically 10-180 seconds at 50-1500 rpm, the motor is deactivated thus stopping rotation of the frame with its contained industrial part. Thereafter, the lock pin is moved to its release position and the conveyor is actuated to both move the now dried part out of the conveyor frame and, at the same time, move a new undried industrial part into the frame whereupon the above process is repeated.
In some cases, the industrial part will not be completely dried following rotation of the frame. In these cases, the part is moved to a vacuum dryer which removes any residual washing fluid or water from the industrial part.